Physalis peruviana heteropolysaccharide-conjugated selenium nanoparticles: Preparation, characterization, and promising applications in cancer therapy

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have attracted considerable attention in the field of cancer therapy due to their remarkable biological activities and advantageous nanoscale properties. However, their inherent instability presents a considerable challenge for broader applications. To address this issue, the heteropolysaccharide extracted from golden berries (the fruits of Physalis peruviana ), designated as DLG, was utilized to synthesize heteropolysaccharide-conjugated selenium nanoparticles, named DLG-SeNP3. Subsequent characterization showed that the nanoparticles DLG-SeNP3 were spherical, with an average particle size of 77 nm, a zeta potential of −14.4 mV, and excellent stability under physiological pH conditions. Further biological investigations showed that DLG-SeNP3 effectively inhibited tumor cell proliferation, exhibiting an IC 50 value of 41.60 μg/mL against A549 cells, and induced apoptosis, with a proportion of 31.30 % at 100 μg/mL. Moreover, in vivo experiments demonstrated that DLG-SeNP3 not only inhibited angiogenesis, resulting in a 26.51 % decrease at 2 μg/mL, but also suppressed tumor growth and invasion, with reductions of 76.90 % and 66.67 % in the intensity and foci of red fluorescence, respectively, at 2 μg/mL. In conclusion, DLG-SeNP3, stabilized with polysaccharides derived from golden berries, shows promising potential for application in cancer treatment.